Jacob vs William
Jacob and Williamcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #59 and William #3 among boys in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #42 and William #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #13 and William #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jacob was ranked #66 and William #14 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #27 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #62 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Jacob and William over time
Jacob and William appear together in 6 published lists, across 265 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Jacob in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
William reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Jacob in 2. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2010, Jacob moved ahead of William in Northern Ireland · Boys — #51 and #40 the year before became #24 and #36.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jacob and William changed places 13 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #59 and #3.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jacob and William averaged 9.0 places apart, ending at #30 and #27.
- Longest-running competitions
Jacob and William were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 44 years, from 1982 to 2025, ending at #42 and #11.
List by list
Norway · Boys79 shared years, 1945–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 13 of those years, William in 66.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #34 in 2017, William #1 in 2012.
The order changed in 1980: William moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #306 and #372; by 1980 that had become #340 and #233.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #59, William #3.
New Zealand · Boys45 shared years, 1977–2023
Jacob held the stronger position in 12 of those years, William in 33.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #6 in 2003, William #3 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jacob #66, William #14.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys44 shared years, 1982–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 7 of those years, William in 37.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #10 in 1999, William #1 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #42, William #11.
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1980–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 12 of those years, William in 28.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #37 in 2016, William #14 in 1980.
The order changed in 2014: Jacob moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #53 and #43; by 2014 that had become #49 and #50.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #62, William #73.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 13 of those years, William in 16.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, William #7 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, William #27.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 15 of those years, William in 13.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #5 in 2017, William #26 in 1997.
The order changed in 2010: Jacob moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #51 and #40; by 2010 that had become #24 and #36.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #13, William #64.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Jacob | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'holder of the heel' or 'supplanter', referencing the biblical account of Jacob being born grasping his twin brother Esau's heel. A less common alternate theory holds it may derive from a longer form meaning roughly 'may God protect'. | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jacob is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin origin, while William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
- Jacob and William both have 2 syllables.
- Jacob's recorded meaning differs from William's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Jacob
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #273 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in England and Wales, in 2013 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #42 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys